News

13/01/2017

Managing Winter Road Risk

Road Safety Wales is reminding employers to review their driving for work risk management policy and ensure that winter driving is properly covered.

Susan Storch, Chair of Road Safety Wales said: "Employees who drive for work purposes should be fully aware of what is expected of them during periods of severe weather and plans should be in place for identifying and preparing for essential journeys."

Employers have a duty to take all reasonably practicable measures to manage risk and companies should ensure that their drivers take heed of any warnings, either from official external sources or from within the firm, not to continue their journeys when advised.

Good practice guides and resources that can help employers to develop, implement, and monitor measures to manage their organisation's occupational road risk, can be found on the Occupational Road Safety Alliance website: www.orsa.org.uk

Susan Storch said: "It is crucial that there are clear plans in place for employees in the in the event of a collision; breakdown; or becoming stranded in severe weather.

"Journey scheduling may be badly affected by winter conditions, so time should be built in to journeys to allow for sufficient rest stops, traffic conditions and to allow employees to drive at an appropriate speed for the conditions."